Released balloons killing too many animals

There are several reasons that this is extremely harmful to the environment and our local wildlife.

Firstly, most balloons are made of latex which takes several years to break down, even the so-called “biodegradable latex” ones which will still take years to degrade.

We have laws and fines against littering ie throwing garbage on the ground but what goes up must come down! When we send 200 plus balloons into the air, they do eventually come down as litter.

This would be the equivalent of dumping 200 bags or plastic bottles randomly into our rivers, beaches or right in the road.

Why is it then, that it is perfectly legal to send balloons into the air?

The balloons, just like plastic bottles or bags make their way back into our drainage systems, causing flooding, a major problem in several areas in the country.

One of Trinidad’s most prized wildlife possessions that contributes to our tourist industry is our turtles.

The main (or sole) diet of turtles are jellyfish and when these balloons fall into the ocean around the country turtles mistake these balloons for jellyfish or squid, eat them, choke and die. Dolphins, turtles, sharks, seabirds, whales and seals are some of the creatures that are often found dead with balloons in their digestive system.

Even the smallest fragment of latex can block a digestive tract causing the animal to starve to death. Seabirds, which are very common along our coastlines, easily mistake deflated balloons for jellyfish or squid and fall to the same fate as the turtles. The Marine Mammal Stranding Centre and the Entanglement Network estimate that over 100, 000 marine animals die each year from entanglement or ingestion. A study performed by the University of Texas Marine Sciences Institute concluded that 15 percent of the dead sea turtles found in the Gulf of Mexico had ingested latex balloons.

Many balloons are tied with ribbons, which pose a separate hazard mainly to our wild bird populations, which are also highly prized by our country.

These are very often found entangled around beaks and or the legs of birds causing the bird to die from starvation or issues associated with the loss of mobility.

Ribbons and strings are also found entangled around the necks of curious young animals that then face a certain horrifying death of strangulation.

Please, I urge every citizen of this country and others who may be reading this to stop this practice of releasing balloons into the air.

It may bring five minutes of joy to children but at the cost of thousands of lives of animals.

Jamie Sookhoo

via email